Jump to content

Center for Media and Democracy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromSourceWatch)
Not to be confused with theSchumann Center for Media and Democracy.

Center for Media and Democracy
AbbreviationCMD
Formation1993;31 years ago(1993)
TypeNonprofit organization
PurposeInvestigative journalismandadvocacy journalism
Location
Region served
United States
Executive director
Arn Pearson[1]
Budget
$829,683 (2020)[2]
Staff
5 (2022)[3]
Websitewww.exposedbycmd.org

TheCenter for Media and Democracy(CMD) is aprogressivenonprofitwatchdogand advocacy organization based inMadison, Wisconsin.[4][5][6][7][8]CMD publishes ExposedbyCMD.org, SourceWatch.org, and ALECexposed.org.

History[edit]

CMD was founded in 1993 byprogressivewriterJohn Stauberin Madison, Wisconsin.Lisa Gravesis the former president of CMD.[9][10]AuthorSheldon Ramptonwas formerly an editor of PR Watch, once a website that was one of CMD’s main outputs, but now run only as an archive, replaced by Exposed.com.

In a report released on April 6, 2006, CMD listed information on 77 television stations that had broadcastvideo news releases(VNRs) in the prior 10 months. CMD said that in each case the television station actively disguised the VNR content to make it appear to be its own reporting, and that in more than one-third of the cases, the stations aired the pre-packaged VNR in its entirety. In August 2006, theFederal Communications Commissionmailed formal letters to the owners of the 77 television stations, asking for information regarding agreements between the stations and the creators of VNRs, and asking whether there was any "consideration" given to the stations in return for airing the material.[11][12][13][14]

In 2014, CMD merged withThe Progressive,aprogressivemonthly magazine, but separated after six months.[15]

CMD has investigated and reported ondonor-advised funds,referring to such donations as a form of "dark money".According to theCapital TimesofMadison, Wisconsin,CMD is a recipient of donor-advised funds via theSchwab Charitable Fund.[16]

Characterization[edit]

The New York Timesreferred to CMD as awatchdogorganization.[17][18][19]The Washington Postdescribed CMD as "a liberal organization that tracks the use of public relations by corporations and politicians."[20]A May 2012 article inIsthmus,analternative weeklynewspaper based inMadison, Wisconsin,referred to CMD as an "activist group".[9]AMilwaukee Journal Sentinelpolitical columnist referred to CMD as "left-wing" and "liberal".[21]CMD was referred to as "uber-liberal" by the conservative news websiteWatchdog.org.[22]CMD has been referred to as a "liberal advocacy group" byThe Des Moines Register,theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch,theWisconsin State Journal,and theLa Crosse Tribune.[4][5][6][7]

CMD disputes the characterization of "liberal" and describes itself as an "investigative watchdog".[3][23]

Online projects[edit]

ExposedbyCMD[edit]

ExposedbyCMD is CMD's investigative reporting website.[3]

ALEC Exposed[edit]

CMD hosts the ALEC Exposed website, which is awikifocusing on theAmerican Legislative Exchange Counciland thepolitical activities of the Koch brothers.[24][25]The "ALEC Exposed" project was featured in the 2012Bill Moyersdocumentary film,United States of ALEC.[26][27]

SourceWatch[edit]

CMD hosts thewikiSourceWatch, which was established in 2003.[28]According to the project's website, it "aims to produce a directory of public relations firms, think tanks, industry-funded organizations and industry-friendly experts that work to influence public opinion and public policy on behalf of corporations, governments and special interest groups."[29]CMD sets the editorial and security policies under which SourceWatch operates.[29][30]UnlikeWikipedia,SourceWatch does not require a "neutral point of view."[31]

From 2006 to 2009, SourceWatch hosted Congresspedia, a wiki that was funded by theSunlight Foundationand intended to document the activities of theUnited States Congress.[32]

Funding[edit]

CMD states that it accepts donations from "individuals and philanthropic foundations through gifts and grants", but "no funding from for-profit corporations or grants from government agencies." It maintains a partial list of supporters on its website.[3]

In a column forFox News,Dan Gainor wrote that CMD received $200,000 from theOpen Society Institute(OSI), agrantmakingnetwork founded byGeorge Soros.[33]CMD stated that it received a grant from OSI "to continue work on national security issues".[3]

Fox News reported that in 2011 CMD received $865,000 in donations—$520,000, or 60% of 2011's total revenue—was received from the Schwab Charitable Fund, adonor advised fundwhich preserves the anonymity of donors by not disclosing individual donor names.[34]

According to the conservative news websiteWatchdog.org,theTides Foundation,a foundation known to donate almost exclusively toleft-wingorganizations,[citation needed]reported giving CMD $160,000 in 2011, but that money did not appear on CMD's tax form 990. When asked why CMD heavily criticizes conservative organizations for not revealing their donors while refusing to name all of CMD's funders, CMD's president Lisa Graves said, "The question of conservative funders versus liberal funders, I think, is a matter of false equivalency.[22]Quite frankly a number of these (corporate donors) like Koch Industries…they’re advancing not just an ideological agenda but an agenda that helps advance the bottom line of their corporate interests. That’s quite a distinct difference from some of the funders in the progressive universe. "[35]

In June 2014,Politicoreported that the Center for Media and Democracy was a recipient of funding through theDemocracy Alliance,a network of left-wing donors.[36][37]

Awards[edit]

CMD and progressive magazineThe Nationshared a September 2011Sidney Award,an award given byThe Sidney Hillman Foundationin recognition of "socially-conscious journalism", for "ALEC Exposed".[38]

In 2012, CMD received anIzzy Award,given by theRoy H. Park School of CommunicationsofIthaca Collegefor special achievement in independent media, and a Professional Freedom and Responsibility Award, given by theAssociation for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication,for the "ALEC Exposed" project.[39][40][41]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Arn Pearson".Center for Media and Democracy.RetrievedFebruary 3,2022.
  2. ^"IRS Form 990 2020".DocumentCloud.Internal Revenue Service.RetrievedFebruary 3,2022.
  3. ^abcde"About Us".Center for Media and Democracy.RetrievedFebruary 3,2022.
  4. ^abMatthew DeFour - Wisconsin State Journal."Leah Vukmir agrees to turn over ALEC documents to settle open records lawsuit".madison.com.
  5. ^abLee Enterprises."Ameren fends off activist shareholder proposals".stltoday.com.
  6. ^ab"Progress Iowa calls on state lawmakers to cut ties with conservative group ALEC".The Des Moines Register.
  7. ^abSimmons, Dan."Walker backtracks from striking 'truth' from UW System charter".La Crosse Tribune.
  8. ^Mayer, Jane (November 14, 2013)."Is IKEA the New Model for the Conservative Movement?".The New Yorker.RetrievedNovember 20,2013.
  9. ^ab"Exposing ALEC: The Center for Media and Democracy goes after the right-wing powerhouse".Isthmus.May 10, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon July 22, 2012.RetrievedJune 26,2012.
  10. ^"Exposing ALEC: How Conservative-Backed State Laws Are All Connected".The Atlantic.April 14, 2012.RetrievedJune 26,2012.
  11. ^"TV Stations' 'Fake News' Scrutinized".CBS News.Associated Press.August 16, 2006.RetrievedAugust 17,2006.
  12. ^Roland, Neil (May 25, 2006)."U.S. FCC Probes Local TV Stations Airing Ads as News (Update3)".Bloomberg News.RetrievedFebruary 25,2015.
  13. ^Shields, Todd(August 21, 2006). "Fake out: FCC warns stations about airing video news releases".Mediaweek.
  14. ^Farsetta, Diane; Price, Daniel (April 6, 2006)."Fake TV news: Widespread and undisclosed"(PDF).Center for Media and Democracy. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 2, 2016.RetrievedOctober 22,2015.
  15. ^Conniff, Ruth(November 2014). "Pulling Together, Saying Goodbye".The Progressive.Vol. 78, no. 11. p. 5.
  16. ^Craver, Jack (December 7, 2013)."Progressive watchdog group gets two big anonymous donations".Capital Times.RetrievedMarch 24,2015.
  17. ^Ivry, Sara (April 16, 2007)."Now on YouTube: The Latest News From Al Jazeera, in English".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 25,2015...the Center for Media and Democracy, a watchdog organization...
  18. ^Warner, Melanie (June 12, 2005)."Striking Back At the Food Police".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 25,2015.A watchdog group....
  19. ^"Corrections".The New York Times.June 19, 2005.the headquarters... of the Center for Media and Democracy... is Madison WI.
  20. ^O'Harrow, Robert (May 31, 2008)."McCain Campaign Calls; a Nonprofit Steps In".The Washington Post.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  21. ^"Liberal organization links Wisconsin bills to Koch-funded group".Milwaukee Journal.July 13, 2011.RetrievedJune 26,2012.
  22. ^abRichards, Tori (January 2, 2014)."Shadowy funders build liberal war chest to unseat governor".Watchdog.org.Archived fromthe originalon February 25, 2015.RetrievedMarch 23,2014.
  23. ^"Center for Media and Democracy About".Center for Media and Democracy.RetrievedFebruary 3,2022.
  24. ^"ALEC Exposed".alecexposed.org.
  25. ^Graves, Lisa (July 12, 2011)."ALEC Exposed: The Koch Connection".The Nation.RetrievedOctober 23,2015.
  26. ^Moyers, Bill(September 28, 2012)."United States of ALEC".Moyers & Company.Public Affairs Television.RetrievedFebruary 25,2015.
  27. ^"The United States of ALEC: Bill Moyers on the Secretive Corporate-Legislative Body Writing Our Laws".Democracy Now!.September 27, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 25,2015.
  28. ^"SourceWatch:Purpose".CMD.RetrievedFebruary 4,2018.
  29. ^ab"Editorial Policy,"SourceWatch,last updated July 31, 2014, accessed February 4, 2018.
  30. ^For further information about editing and security policies, see also:"SourceWatch: How to fix or report an error",SourceWatch:"Errors and Complaints", and"Security",both accessed February 4, 2018.
  31. ^Donnelly, Katie (November 3, 2009)."10 Projects that Help Citizens Become Government Watchdogs".MediaShift.RetrievedAugust 7,2015.
  32. ^Miller, Ellen."Two Great Sites That Go Well Together".Sunlight Foundation.RetrievedJuly 2,2014.
  33. ^"Left, Obama Escalate War on Banks Into Dangerous Territory".Fox News. December 11, 2011.RetrievedJuly 25,2012.
  34. ^Richards, Tori (December 4, 2013)."Liberal 'media' group gets $520G dark money donation for war on right".Fox News.RetrievedDecember 6,2013.
  35. ^Kittle, M.D."Center for Media and Democracy: Liberals are morally superior".WisconsinWatchdog.org.RetrievedJanuary 9,2018.[permanent dead link]
  36. ^Vogel, Kenneth (June 23, 2014)."Inside the vast liberal conspiracy".Politico.RetrievedJune 24,2014.
  37. ^"Spring 2014 Democracy Alliance Investment Recommendations".Democracy Alliance.RetrievedJune 24,2014.
  38. ^Sedlis, Julie (July 25, 2012)."The Center for Media and Democracy and The Nation Win September Sidney for" ALEC:Exposed, "A Look Into the Secretive Collaboration Between Corporations and Politicians on State Legislation".The Sidney Hillman Foundation.Archived fromthe originalon May 2, 2014.RetrievedOctober 25,2014.
  39. ^"2012 Izzy Awards".WSKG. April 10, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon February 24, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 24,2015.
  40. ^Michael, Catherine (March 27, 2012)."Izzy Award winners: Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Center for Media and Democracy".ALA Connect.American Library Association.RetrievedFebruary 24,2015.
  41. ^Esch, Madeleine (Spring 2012)."Center for Media and Democracy Selected for 2012 PF&R Award"(PDF).Cultural and Critical Studies.Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 15, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 24,2015.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Center_for_Media_and_Democracy&oldid=1208244009#SourceWatch"